Sewing-machine.



G. I. CORCORAN.

SEWING MACHINE. APPLICATION FILED'DEO. 5 1910.

' Patented Mar. 30, 1915 I BSHEETS-SHEETL Minimum mpnu I iI . a ay W G. L. GORGORAN. SEWING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED 1330.5,1910

Patented Mar. 30, 1915..

L. GORGORAN. SEWING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED 13130.5, 1910.-

' Patented Mar. 30, 1915.

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GEORGE L. GORCORAN, OF ST. LOUIS, 'Ml'oSOURI, ASSIGNOR TO CHAMPION SHOE MACHINERY COMPANY, OF ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI A CORPORATION OF MISSOURI.

SEWING-MACHINE.

Application filed December 5, 1910.

T all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, Gnonen' L. CORCORAN, a citizen of the United States, residingat St. Louis, in the State of Missouri, have 1nvented a new and useful Sewingdiiachine, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to sewing machines of the wax thread type, and more particularlyto the mechanism for controlling the thread for the purpose of setting the stitch and drawing or measuring the supply of thread for the stitches.

In sewing machines which are adapted for sewing work of different thickness, it is desirable and necessary to vary the supply of measured thread in accordance with the thickness of the work, in order that the stitch may be set uniformly.

The objects of this invention, therefore, are to construct thread controlling mechanism in which the thread is measured in accordance with the thickness of the work, and in which the stitches are set uniformly irrespective of the thickness of the work.

Further objects will appear from the detail description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which,

Figure 1 is a side elevation of the head and work support of a sewing machine,

showing this invention applied thereto, Fig. 2 is a plan view, Fig. 3 is a side elevation of the opposite side of the machine, certain parts of the mechanism being omitted for the sake of clearness, Fig. 1 is a section of the thread lock, Fig. 5 is another section, buttaken at right angles to that of Fig. A, and

Fig. 6 is a transverse section on the line 6-6 Fig. 5.

Referring to the drawings, 10 designates the work support, and 11 the head of a sewing machine, which in this particular instance is of the lock-stitch type. An awl' 12 is supported by the awl-bar 13 which reciprocatesvertically in the head of the machine and is guided at its upper end by a cross head 14 engaging aguide 15. A hooked needle 16 enters the hole made in the stock S from below. Looper mechanism of well known construction andcomprising fingers 17 and 18, is arranged to loop the needle thread around the needle in a manner well known to those skilled in the art. The awl, as well as the needle, shuttle, and looper, are operated by suitable mechanism from a main shaft such as B, through su able Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Mar. 30, 1915.

Serial No. 595,799.

links and levers as usual in machines of this type. A presser foot 19 is supported by a presser foot bar 20, which is arranged to be moved vertically in bearings in the head. The upper end of the presser foot bar has secured to it a finger 21 the forked end of which engages a guide bar 22 secured to the head. A toe 23, of a lever 24.- pivoted at 25 in the head, extends underneath the finger 21, and the opposite end of the lever is connected by a treadle rod 26 to a suitable treadle. The presser foot is normally pressed down'on the work by means of a leaf spring 27 and this presser foot can be raised by means of the treadle through the connections shown.

The needle thread T from the'main supply 30 passes through a thread lock A, over a guide 31, and through the waxpot 32. An arm 33 is pivoted on the wax pot or to any other suitable part of the machine head, and

is under the tension of a spring 34, which normally tends to move the free end of the arm to the right, Fig. 1. Arms 35 and 36 are pivoted to the head of the machine and are provided at their free ends with guides for the thread. The arm 36 is secured to an actuator shaft 37 which has also rigidly secured to it an arm 38 connected by a link 89 to the arm 35. The arms 36 and 38 form together a double arm lever as shown in Figs. 1 and 2, and the arm or lever 35 is actuated from the arm 38 of this lever. By means of this construction the arms 35 and 36 move toward and from each other. The shaft 37 has rigidly secured thereto a pinion or segmental gear 40 which meshes with a toothed segment or segmental gear 41 on one end of a lever 42 pivoted at 42* in the head The other end of the lever is connected by a link 43 to a lever 44: which is provided with a cam roll engaging a face cam 45 on the main shaft B.

The thread lock comprises a cylindrical body 50 which is bored and provided with a securing flange 51, so that the lock can be inserted intoa hole in the head and secured in position by means of screws passing through the flange. The upper end of the lock body is threaded to receive aknurled sleeve 52 and a knurled lock nut 53. A knurled head 54 is mounted on a shank 55, the end of which'is threaded to receive a collar 56 which affords an abutment for one end of a spring 56 the other end of which bears against a shoulder formed in the lock body. The shank is provided with a hardened end 57, and its upper end with a slot 58 for the thread. The collar 56 is locked against turning by means of a screw 59 engaging a slot 59 in the lock body, and the head 54 is. provided for a similar purpose with a guide pin 60 engaging a socket in the lock body. This guide pin is screwed into the head 54 and locked in position by means of alock nut 61. The 'co6perating. faces of the plunger head 54 and sleeve 52 are coned as shown in the drawing for the purpose of gripping the thread. A tappet 62 slides in the bore of the lock-body and is prevented from dropping out by means of a screw 63 engaging a slot 64. The upper end of thistappet is inclined to correspond with the incline on a sliding wedge 64 which is guided by the slots 64. The wedge 64 is connected by a link 65 to one arm of a lever 66 pivoted at 25. The other arm of the lever is connected by a link 67 'to an arm 68 secured to and projecting rearwardly from the upper end of the presser foot bar, this arm being preferably a part of or integral with the finger 21. The tappet 62 is arranged to be en agedby the end 69 of the lever 42.

tension device is arranged between the lock and the thread supply so as to deliver the thread to the lock undertension. This tension device comprises a bracket 70 secured to the lock body and provided with eyes 71 and 7 2 for receiving and guiding the thread. The thread is gripped between a pair of tension plates or disks 73 pressed together by means of a spring on a threaded shank secured to the bracket, and the tension of this spring can be regulated by means of a wing nut 75.

The arms 35 and 36 constitute together a take-up mechanism (or take-up members the function of which is to take up the thread, set the stitch, and give up the thread to the needle and the shuttle in the formation of the stitch. In this case, however, the take-up mechanism performs an additional function, namely that of drawing or measuring the thread for the next stitch. This is v accomplished by constructing the take-up mechanism so that it has two actions or movements, one of which is the take-up and settin action, and the other of which is a thread drawin or measuring action. the preferred form the lock is maintained closed until the stitch is set and then it is opened to permit the take-up mechanism inthe last part of its movement to draw or measure the thread for the next stitch.

The lock is closed to grip the thread between the plunger head 54 and the collar 52 by means of the spring 56, and the thread is released by theengagement of the end 69 of the lever 42 with the tappet 62. The

raising of the tappet causes. the wedge 64 to be movedupwardlyto engage the end 57 of the plunger so as to raise it against. the tension ofits spring-56. Both the lock and the take-up mechanism *are operated from the lever 42 so that they are interconnected to operate in timed relation.

Assume that the stitch has beenformed and thatthe arms 35 and 36 have moved toward each other so as to give up the thread during the-formation of'the stitch. As the arms 35 and 36 again move away from each other, the thread will be taken up and the stitch will be set against the tension of the spring 34, the thread being at this time firmly gripped by the thread clamping or gripping members 52 and 54 of the thread lock A. During the latter part of this movement of the arms 35 and 36 the lever 42 will engage the tappet 62 to open the look A and permit thread for the next stitch to be drawn by the take-up mechanism. Thereafter the lock will be closed by its spring and the thread will be again given up by the take-up mechanism during the formation of the next stitch.

It will be evidentthat the measured supply of thread must be varied'in accordance with the thickness of the stock. 'This is accomplished by providing an adjustable work engaging member which varies in its position in accordance with the thickness of the work, and controls the thread drawing action of the above described mechanism. In the specific embodiment shown, the presser foot is movable and adjustable and is interconnected with the sliding wedge 64. It will be seen that there is a lost motion connection between the tappet 62 and wedge 64, and the end 57 of the plunger. Now by varying the position of*the wedge, the amount of such lost motion can be varied as will be obvious left, Fig. 4, the amount of lost motion wi be.decreased, and if moved to the right, will be increased. A

decrease in the lost motion will cause the lock to be opened earlier in the take-up and lock settin movement of the take-up mechanism, so that the amount of thread drawn or measured is increased, keeping in mind.

that the take-up mechanism has a fixed stroke. An increase in the lost motion will have the reverse efi'ect. Due to the intercom nection of the presser foot and the wedge 64 an upward movement of the presser foot will cause the wedge to move to the left Figs.

1 and 4, and a downward movement will cause'the wed e to move to the right. It will thus be seen th is placedin the machine, the presser foot will be raised and the amount of thread measured for the neXt stitch will be in creased. The levers and wedge are so designed that the amount of. thread drawn and measured is in accordance with. the

atwhen thicker stock or work niaaeae thickness of the, work, so that the correct amountv will be automatically drawn and measured for every thickness. This insures that the lock will beset at a uniform distance in the work irrespective of itsthickness.

It is sometimes necessary to vary the timing of the opening of the lock: independently of the automatic mechanism, for instance, in order to adjust the machine for stitches of diiierent lengths or for preliminary adjustments for the tension of the thread. This can be accomplished by varying the time of the opening of the look by independently varying the amount'of lost motion referred to above. By referring to Fig. 4. it will be seen that if the sleeve 52 is raised the amount. of lost motion will be increased, and if lowered decreased. The mechanism can therefore be manually and independently adjusted by adjusting the knurled sleeve 52, this sleeve being locked in adjusted position by means of the lock nut 53.

In order to insure accurate measuring of the thread, a tension device is placed between the lock and the thread supply. In.

this way the thread is delivered to the look under tension so that overthrow of thread is prevented. The spring 74: is, however, a comparatively light spring, so that the-tension on the thread will only be sufficient to prevent overthrow, It will therefore be seen that in accordance with this invention the thread is locked during the take-up and stitch setting movement of the take-up mem-- bers and is released by opening the lock, during the latter part of the take up stroke of the take-up members. both the take-up device, comprising the takeup members, and for positively opening and permitting closing of the thread lock, is operated from a single cam in the cam wheel 45. The take-up and the thread lock are therefore operated in coiiperative relation through means comprising the cam wheel,

its levers and the coacting spring 5-6. The I movement given to the movable clamping.

member of the thread lock will of course be comparatively small so that the thread will be looked as soon as thetake-up members start on their thread giving movement. In-

-this way the thread is locked against move- The actuator for;

members for drawing the.thread, the number of parts are reduced to a minimum resulting in simplicity of construction. The lock is so constructed that it can be easily assembled and disassembled, and all its moving parts are locked so as not to become loose.

While only one embodiment of this invention has been shown and described, it will be obvious that the invention may be embodied in different forms. It is also obvious that varlous changes may be made in details of construction without departing from this invention, and it is therefore to be understood that this invention is not to be limited to the specific construction shown and described.

Having thus described the invention what is claimed is:

1. In a sewing machine, the combination with stitch forming mechanism, of a takeup device adapted to takeup and set the stitch and then measure thread from the supply, a' thread-lock separate from but cooperating with said take-up device, and means for operatingsaid take-up devi ce and 90 thread-lock in coiiperative relation, con- 'structed to cause said thread-lock to lock the arate from but cocperating with said take-up device, a single actuator for operating said take-up device and said thread-lock in 00- v operative relation, constructed to permit said thread-lock to lock the thread during substantially the entire thread giving movement of the take-up device and during the movement of said take-up device in set ing the stitch, and constructed to cause said thread-lock to release the thread while said take-up device moves to measure suliicient 5 thread from the supply for the next stitch. and automatic controlling means constructed to automatically vary the amount of thread measured in accordance with the thickness of the work. 12-;

In a sewing machine, the combination of a pair of take-up levers, a gear connected to one of said levers, a gear meshing with said first gear, athread-lock, and means for operating said second gear having a portion 1 adapted to engage and actuate the threadlock.

4. A take-up device, comprising a lever with a thread engaging part, a second lever actuated from the first lever, a tension de- 1:5

vice, and means connected to the operating means for the second lever for actuating the tension device.

5. A take-up device comprising a lever witha thread engaging part, a second lever with a thread engaging part having a segmel'ital gear attached, ,an independently mounted gearmeshing with said segmental gear, a thread clamp, means for operating said independentlymounted gear, having a projection adapted to engage and operate the thread clamp. J

6. In a sewing machine,-the combination with stitch forming mechanism, of a take- I up device adapted totake-up and set the stitchandthen measure thread from the supply, a thread-lock separate from but cooperating with said take-up device, and a single cam actuated member for operating said take-up'device and thread-lock in cooperative relation, constructed to permit said thread-lock to lock the thread 'While the take-up device'sets the stitch, and constructed to then cause said thread-lock to release the next stitch."

' movable thread clamping members,

the thread while said take-up device measures sufiicient thread from the supply for 7 In a sewing machine, the combination with stitch forming mechanism,. of a takeup device adapted totake' up and set the stitch and measure thread from the supply, a thread-lock separate from sa-ld take-up device and comprising a pair of relativelyi anc means foroperating said take-up device and uringmeans having afixed stroke, means for operating said thread-lock and said.

thread measuring means in coiiperative relation constructed to separate said thread clamping members to release the thread and permit said thread measuring means to draw from the supply and through said thread-lock suflicient thread to form the next stitch, and automatic controlling means for said thread-lock constructed to-cause said thread clamping members to be separated earlier or later during the stroke of said thread measuring means to permit said mthread measuring means to measure the thread in accordance with the thickness of the work. 1

9. In a sewing machine, the combination of thread-controlling mechanism including a thread-lock adapted to lock and release the thread, means governed automatically by the thickness of the work for controlling I said thread-lock to varythe point} during the cycle of operations at which the thread is released by said thread-lock, and means for independently Varying the point at I which the thread-isiireleased by said threadlock-as controlled by said controlling means.-

lO; In a sewing machine, the combination of thread controlling mechanism including a thread-lock adapted to lock and release the thread, an actuator for said thread-ldck, means governed automatically by the thickness of the work for varying the point during the cycle of operations at which the @read-lock is opened by said actuator, and 'means for independently varying the point during the cycle of operations at which the thread-lock is opened by said actuator. I

11. In a sewing machine, a thread-lock comprising a thread clamping memberfan actuator, an adjustable member positioned between said clamping member and said a actuator constructed to cause said actuator to move said clamping member through said adjustable member, said adjustable member being constructed to vary the operation of said clamping member, and a work engaging member connected to said adjustable member. I

12. In a sewing machine, a thread-lock comprising a thread clamping member, an actuator for said thread'clamping member,

an adjustable member between said clamping member and said actuator constructed to engage said clamping member, and a work engaging member connectedto said adjustable member to varythe point of engagement, during the stroke of said actuator, of said adjustable member with said clamping member.

13. In a sewing machine, a thread-lock comprising a' thread clamping member, an actuator for said thread clamping member, an adjustable wedge between said clamping member and said actuator constructed to engage said clamping member, and a work engaging meinber connected to said Wedge to vary the point of engagement, during the stroke of said actuator, of said wedge'with said clamping member.

14. In a sewing machine, the combination of thread measuring means including a thread. engaging member, an actuator,

means for-moving said actuator to engage member and actuator relatively in accordance With the thickness of the Work, and means for manually adjusting said member and actuator relatively.

16. In a sewing machine, thread measuring mechanism including in combination a thread lock, a stitch setting take up separate from said thread lock constructed and operated to draw from the supply and through said thread lock an amount of thread sufiicient to form the next stitch, an actuator for said thread lock, and means for automatically adjusting said actuator and thread lock relatively, constructed to vary the thread locking action of said thread lock in accordance With the thickness of the Work.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of tWo Witnesses.

GEORGE L. CORCORAN. 

